4 Beverages to Increase Your Quality of Life

There are many ways to increase your health and longevity, including working out, moving regularly, getting an abundance of quality sleep, living a low-stress, positive life and eating clean. Another great way to increase your quality of life is by limiting unhealthy drinks and consuming these powerful beverages in the right quantity: water, green tea, black tea and coffee.

Renowned author Dan Buettner researches areas of the world that have the longest life expectancy and best quality of life. He found that in these areas, people consume some or all of the four aforementioned drinks as part of their health routine.

These regions also excel in other areas of health, including clean eating, stress management, movement and quality sleep, so we can’t draw a direct correlation between the four drinks and longer life. However, people in these regions have been drinking these beverages regularly for decades and living longer, meaning consumption paired with a healthy lifestyle play into their success.

Rather than reaching for soda or sugar-filled juices and beverages, rethink your drink. Choose something with health benefits! Below is a breakdown of each of the four powerful beverages, their benefits and recommendations for consumption.

Water

This one’s a no-brainer. Water is the foundation of healthy nutrition. The general rule of thumb is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day. For example, someone who weighs 200 pounds should aim for around 100 fluid ounces of water per day. This amount may change depending on your activity level and body type or during periods of illness and fatigue. At optimal hydration, you will have very light-colored urine. When you supply your body with the proper amount of water, you will experience more energy, better performance, healthier and suppler skin and a clearer mind.

Green Tea

Green tea is packed with antioxidants (like flavanols, polyphenols and catechins) that protect the body from free radicals and chronic diseases. These antioxidants have also been linked to lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. Green tea is a prebiotic, so it aids the gut in growing good bacteria to help with digestion and warding off bad bacteria. Green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that aids the brain and could lead to an improved mood, and caffeine, which has been linked to lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s and provides the mind with sharper focus. Aim to consume less than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day, and avoid drinking it too late in the afternoon as this may cause disruptions in sleep and other health concerns.

Black Tea

Black tea has many of the same benefits as green tea. By containing caffeine, polyphenols, L-theanine, and flavanols, it helps to protect you from chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Black tea also aids in gut health, similar to green tea. Since it contains caffeine, follow the same guidelines for consumption.

Coffee

Like teas, coffee contains caffeine and antioxidants that provide similar benefits. Coffee also contains essential nutrients, like vitamin B5 (red blood cell production), manganese (bone development and metabolism), potassium (lower blood pressure) and niacin (conversion of vitamins into useable energy). Overall, coffee has been linked to lowered risks for type 2 diabetes, depression, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and liver disease. Because it contains caffeine, the same guidelines apply here. Think of consuming coffee for its benefits as opposed to it being a pick-me-up.

The most important piece here is to consume these drinks in their purest, least-processed forms, without adding in extra creams, flavors and sugars. Aside from water, you don’t have to consume each drink every day to reap their benefits. A good strategy is to rotate between teas and coffee every other day. Use these drinks in moderation to help your body fight inflammation and as a strong supplement to your health routine.